THE BBC's director general has dropped plans for the corporation in London to take over the running of part of BBC Scotland after The National exposed his secret plans.

Tim Davie made the U turn after our investigation highlighted trade union and industry concerns that the proposals would put directly at risk 150 jobs at two studios at Pacific Quay in Glasgow and have a damaging knock on effect on the country's wider television industry.

Staff working in the studios which had been targeted received the update today in an email from BBC Scotland business director Mark Taylor.

The decision now means that both facilities - Studio A and B - will remain under the control of BBC Scotland and not transfer to BBC Studioworks, a subsidiary of the BBC in Elstree near London.

“As part of the BBC’s ambition to grow broadcast activity and infrastructure in Scotland, you’ll be aware that a number of options for future studio management in Glasgow have been reviewed," Taylor informed staff. 

“This review work is now complete and I wanted to let you know it has been agreed that Studio A at Pacific Quay will continue to be run as part of BBC Scotland.  The detailed analysis we undertook showed this made the best financial and operational sense." 

Broadcasting union Bectu had fought the plans for several weeks fearing they would cause dozens of job losses among technical staff and result in TV production work moving out of the country.

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Davie's plans were also opposed by politicians in the SNP, the Greens and Alba who highlighted their concerns in the Commons and at Holyrood after the proposals were first reported by The National.

Callum Baird, editor of The National, said today: "Our reporting exposed this power grab bid by the BBC in London and heaped considerable pressure on Tim Davie into reversing his proposals.

“This is just another example of why independence supporters should subscribe to The National – because we’ll stand up for Scotland against London interests and fight every day to win independence for Scotland.”

Paul McManus, negotiating officer for Bectu in Scotland, welcomed today's reversal and added that staff were relieved at the outcome.

"We have been getting lots of grateful messages from BBC staff this morning who were deeply worried about their future and who are now completely relieved that this madcap idea has been taken off the table," he said.

"As we warned, the proposed transfer of control to BBC Studioworks would have had a detrimental impact, not just on Pacific Quay, but jobs and skills in the wider Scottish production sector. We will now focus on working with the BBC on increasing production activity and bolstering Scotland’s thriving creative sector.”

Asked why he thought Davie changed his mind, he replied: "I am 100% convinced it was political pressure. I think Tim Davie, who is still fairly new in the job, decided 'I don't need a fight with the Scottish Government or with Scottish politicians at this point in time'. I hope he also realised it wouldn't make any financial sense."

This morning the SNP's John Nicolson,who is the party's media spokesman at Westminster, wrote on social media: "This morning I received confirmation from the BBC that, despite the initial proposal for London-based Studioworks to take over production at Studio A, the BBC now recognises that continuing to run Studio A and Studio B through BBC Scotland ‘makes financial and operational sense."

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Cabinet Secretary for Culture Angus Robertson - who met with Davie last week - said: 

“This is excellent news for screen production and decision-making in Scotland.

“I am pleased for everyone at BBC Scotland Pacific Quay and very glad that the constructive dialogue with staff and BBC director general Tim Davie led to the best decision.

“We expect the BBC to genuinely invest in the creative economy of Scotland and in discussions I held with the director general last week he said he is keen to support the expansion of screen and broadcasting capacity in Scotland.

“The future for TV and film production in Scotland looks bright and we must all support its growth.”

 
Ross Greer, of the Scottish Greens, said: “Bectu should be congratulated for saving their members’ jobs at the Glasgow studios, a campaign the Greens were proud to support.

"They have also prevented the centralisation of decision-making over key Scottish studios to a London-based subsidiary company.

"BBC Scotland plays a key role as a media employer in Scotland and it would have been completely inappropriate to undermine that by cutting jobs and removing control at such an exciting time for the Scottish film and TV industry.”

Taylor and Jennifer Allan, another leading executive at the BBC in Glasgow, were against the plans telling staff last month they weren't "the best deal for Scotland".

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Along with Steve Carson, the BBC Scotland director, they had been tasked by headquarters to develop detailed proposals to advance Davie's plan.

The two studios directly employ around 150 people, including camera operators, vision mixers and sound engineers who work on a range of programmes such as The Nine and Reporting Scotland, as well as sports broadcasts, documentaries and light entertainment.

McManus told The National last month: “It is very significant that at a staff meeting senior executives have already decided that this proposal is not the best for BBC Scotland. It leaves the staff with no faith that management have their best interests at heart.

“There is a power struggle going on between London and Scotland and staff are caught in the cross-fire.”

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It is understood that staff were told at the meeting last month that "Project Ocean" had been set up in London to investigate transferring BBC Scotland’s studios off to Studioworks after the Glasgow studios were identified as presenting a potential “commercial opportunity”.

The transfer could have meant that BBC Scotland stood to lose a lucrative income stream as it would no longer take on any commercial work, as Studioworks would take on the responsibility.

It was also understood that under the plan, as well as losing the staff and a significant income stream from the two Pacific Quay studios, BBC Scotland would also have  had to pay in future for using the studios that it currently owns and that any programme made there would have to pay a fee to Studioworks in London.

BBC Scotland are now looking at how they can work with a new studio facility at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, with the aim of increasing production activity in Scotland.

Bectu hopes the new initiative in the city will bolster creativity and develop the skillset of Scottish production workers and will continue to protect jobs.

On future plans for the country's broadcasting industry, Harper said in his email to staff that discussions were underway on how BBC Scotland could work with the new studios due to open at the former sports facility, Kelvin Hall in Glasgow.

“A second stage of work is now underway to look at how we could work with the proposed new facility at Kelvin Hall to help our overall ambitions of increasing production activity in Scotland," he said.

“The return of Weakest Link to Studio A later this year alongside new titles like Bridge of Lies and The Tournament show the breadth and quality of the work that we, as a key part of the creative sector in Scotland, can deliver.”